Pingu bolsters industry bobsleighers

This time next week, the industry bobsleigh team will be on its way to Innsbruck - but ahead of the event several team members seemed to be getting some sliding advice from Hit's Pingu at a special photo shoot to publicise the fundraiser.

A number of squad members - and Jessica Blue from the event's headline sponsor, Advanstar Global Licensing Group - posed with the costume character at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead.

"It's not long now, and to be honest, we're all starting to get a bit nervous," said event organiser Stephen Gould. "Bobsleigh is the oldest extreme sport in the world and Jeremy Clarkson has been quoted as saying that he's driven some of the fastest cars on Earth and been up to March 2 in a fighter jet, but he's never done anything as terrifying as getting into a bobsleigh.

"However, we remain respectfully undaunted - either because we're oblivious to reality or simply naive to the inherent dangers that await - but, most importantly, a lot of money will be raised for The Light Fund by what we are planning to do."